I deleted the previous vid in my thread about Oletscreens. As explained there, I wasn't satisfied with what I wanted to show.So here's another go. I turned the camara mounting on my rear beam more in my direction. Which is "contre-coeur" for me. Result is so so, but at least I could show the viewers more the story behind all.So, you see the fysical trouble I have to drag my cat on the quicksand of the shoreline. My tow would sink away, so its all muscle power ( my cat is 150 kg)After that I have to pass the break on my knees sitting on the windward hull. Rudders are still hanging horizontal. So a lot of pressure on the stick, hence open main and so slow sailing.In this phase the waves are so treacherous in willing to flip the cat that I cannot and have no safe opportunity to let the rudders down and start hanging out.In fact should the windward hull be lifted too much, I can throw my weight backwards, hanging on the side stay on my knees aside of the hull. This works even in the situation that the mast touches the water!First after passing the break in more quite water, I can pull the rudders down and start to hang out.

So its not pure sailing with the wind but more sailing and steering in the waves. You will see that I never let the sea out of my sight.

Nice job with the sailing video. We have a few spots on the Atlantic coast with similar shallow conditions, and a few where the shallow areas go out much further into the water. Not fun in big surf. It's tough to sail in that stuff without rudders, and can be even tougher to get back on the boat to lower them (without flipping over backwards).

Not to nit-pick, but you definitely looked away from the sea a few times when you were making adjustments on the boat. Not that I wouldn't have done the same, but after you said you hadn't, I was watching to see how you could lock the rudders down without looking back at them.

Those waves didn't look very high, and it didn't seem overly windy. Not sure if that's just the camera's perspective (things always seem bigger/worse in person). What we're the actual conditions that day?

Mike, I cannot recall the actual conditions of the recording of the vid. Looking at the publication date on YouTube, its just more than a week ago and Windfinder doesn't show longer then 7 days ago. But as you remarked, there were mild wind conditions indeed.So, not the best conditions to proof what I wanted to show. You are quite right about that. After I finished the adapted camera mounting, I was too eager to wait on a better situation.

The rudder issue which you mentioned, has to do with the fact that I made the rudder castings, the locking system and the blades by myself (as the whole cat). They are based on the Prindle design, because I had then the most positive experience with that design. The main problem with other designs is that, as a solo sailor, I have to shift all my weight to the back in order to click the rudderblades down in their lock. Without flipping over backwards, as you said.

That's why I invented a rope construction with which I could directly pull each rudderblade seperatly down. You can see in the vid, me doing that. This system is far from ideal, but at least I can keep my weight in front without flipping backwards or over the beamside. You are right that I, in order to grip for the ropes, I loose a moment sight of the incoming waves. But thats the reason why I have to wait until I passed most of the break. I'm more or less trapped in that akward position in front.

So you just placed your finger on the embarrassing spot! I haven't seen another solution until now for this problem.

Maybe you have suggestions about this. And Mike I'm very pleased that you force me to show here and discuss my sailingproblems. On my sailing spot and in my village I'm the only serious catsailor. There is, said to say, no fysical beachcontact with other catsailors.

ronaldRAIDER-15 (homebuilt)

hey boy, what did you do over there, alone far out at sea?.."huh....., that's the only place where I'm happy, sir.

I was honestly hoping to learn a new trick from you! I sail a Hobie Wave, before that a Hobie 16. So I know all too well the hazards of going back to lock the rudders down.

In reality, I (and probably most of us who have done this for any amount of time) do our best to balance inching the rudders down as the water gets deeper, but not locking them down until we believe that we're in deep water.

Maybe it's for the best, though. Nothing destroys a transom faster than backing down a wave, with rudders locked down, and hitting the seabed.

Of course, most times, we aren't racing as soon as we launch. The Worrell, Tybee, Florida 300 and Great Texas guys may have a different approach?

At least I have the same amount of water coming over me compared with these Volvo Ocean racers. Despite my high trapeze ring; which is, as you can see, a strong condition in these circumstances. Same applies for the rear footstrap and a platform under the forefoot.

ronaldRAIDER-15 (homebuilt)

hey boy, what did you do over there, alone far out at sea?.."huh....., that's the only place where I'm happy, sir.